Few foresaw at the time that the fiery former opposition leader – whose Brothers of Italy party is rooted in postwar neo-fascism – would preside over Italy’s longest period of political calm in decades. “We’ve been given a historic opportunity to make Italy the country we’ve always dreamt of,” Meloni told supporters at Atreju, the Brothers of Italy’s annual political festival, in Rome last month. Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to face general elections in Italy next year. On the international stage, the prime minister has sought to raise both Italy’s international stature and her own. “They are taking care more of the international institutions, and international appearances than about the real life of the people,” Grimoldi says.

Source: The Irish Times January 09, 2026 15:35 UTC